Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-30
course .uch sweet melody as a woman'a

course such sweet melody rs woman's
voice OF the right quality.
] answered.: 81 have not been go
fortunate. / have had numerous ap-
plications. but hitherto not the right
applicant"
al fear that | am selfish enough to
feel glad, sir. think perhaps / should
suit you. You said you would not OBJ
jcct 10 widow with one child" she
said, while a faint blush warned her
face.
"Yos. thought a widow would un.
6eIstand me better. | am very likely
hit peculiar and set in my ways, you
will understand"
"Single gentlemen often sre," quoth
ihe sapiently, with n smile that showed
a pretty set of pearly white teeth.
"Then, again, ] reasoned that il the
widow had child she would probably
he more sett ed and contented. Did [
reason correctly?"
eyes, sir, think so, she answered
with laugh that suggested the ripple
Ct brook.
"Yours is bonny child. Isit boy
or n girl ?"
"0h, it is a boy. His shame is Chan
dos.
"Come here, my little man, will
You? Come and tell me how old you
are"
The child came to me without any
sign OF fear or shyness and said "I'm
four years old next birthdhy."
He was a clean-skinned, fine-feshed
urchin with mass of yellow hair and
a couple of violet eyes that would have
made the fortune of q girl. L took him
on my knee, let him examine my fob,
and made him chuckle with the nursery
mystery of blowing upon my watch
case. l kissed him. Odd had not
kissed a child for years.
"He doesn't resemble his mother
much" remarked. addressing her.
"No. he is more like his poor father
than his mother"
"Has bis father been long dead ?"
"About three years he died in In
dia. He was Captain in - regiment.
Cbandos was only year old at the
time"
"Ah, that was very sad Have you
had any experience in housekeeping 2"
Not in the sense in which you
mean, sir. have never been in "a
situation before, sir"
felt sorry for her. There was no
doubt she had been gently bred.
"Still, you understand managing a
place."
ooh, yes. / kept my fathers house
for some years. He kept four maids
and butler"
"Indeed that is one more than
have. ] don't think L caught your
name 2"
"Christine Campion. / can refer
you to Colonel Campion, of Druids-
ford. He is relative of mine, and is
noted for his frankness. He will not
praise me oyermuch.
We had some further talk of a gene
raj nature, and when she took her
leave she left me her address, and |
promised TO write to her after l had
heard from the Colonel. l liked her,
and told her l thought she would suit
me. She seemed very pleased.
In the course of a week got letter
from the Colonel. He wrote on board
the yacht Nimrod, off Gweenbare
Bay. His letter was brief almost to
curtness. He said "Christine Cam
pion is n lady 10y birth and breeding.
Her moral character, | believe, techni-
cally flawless. In a wider sense, how
ever, think she lacks numerous vir-
tues. Asfor housekeeping-if she says
she can do it, she will keep her word.
She can do anything she wishes to do.
She would be a happier girl ii she were
less clever by half. l thought the
Colonel a bit waspish. Certainly he
was no flatterer.
sat down and wrote Mrs Campion
a polite letter, which, boiled down,
meant Come"